The mind seems to be the weakest link for those who complete feats of endurance. Sarah Carabott spoke to four people who spent months preparing to test their limits. She asked them what inspires them, what keeps them going and what they think about during these hours-long challenges.

Claudio Camilleri

2020 challenge: together with Patrick Tabone, Claudio ran 190km in 35 hours around the coastline of Malta and Gozo for the 1Run 1Race, organised to help fund access to education for refugees and migrants.

Upcoming challenge: a race that only ends when the last runner stops running, called Endure, and the Ultra Eiger Trail in 2021. 

It started with football and continued with Futsal until the age of 38. He then ran mostly on the roads until he turned 41 in 2018, before turning to ultra-running in 2019.

Life mantra: Patience, tenacity, passion.

When COVID-19 cancelled this year’s Ultra Eiger Trail, in the Swiss Alps, Claudio and Patrick decided to put their training for the 101km run to good use. They decided to run around Malta and Gozo and use the feat as a catalyst to raise awareness and funds for a cause they both have at heart.

During this ultrarun, giving up was not on the cards for Claudio, but he admits that the terrain, heat and hills of the last 15km in Gozo were tough. The duo had run 80km by then, and even though they had another 100km to go, he was relieved once they completed the Gozo route. 

The one time he inched close to giving up was a year earlier during his first ultrarun. He had risked quitting that challenge due to severe cramping, however, he managed to complete the challenge.

Whenever he is practising sports or running, Claudio manages to push all thoughts aside and focus on the moment. During such long runs, he either stays calculating his running pace and some other metric, or focuses on form, hydration and nutrition. Another tactic of his is to visualise milestones and picture himself getting close to key targets. 

During the 1Run 1Race he also held conversations with people accompanying the runners during different parts of the challenge. These people – their support team – were always there, encouraging them to reach the next aid station.  

“We saw a lot of support when we launched the campaign, so when it was time for the ultrarun, it was our turn to deliver. I felt I would let people down if I did not finish.”

Whenever he feels challenged, even if it has nothing to do with a run or a race, Claudio pictures his wife and two daughters at the finish line, and that helps him pull through. 

 

Matthew Mirabelli

2020 challenge: it took Matthew 14 hours 36 minutes and 17 seconds to complete the Bearman Extreme Triathlon in the Pyrenees, which started with a 3.8km swim before sunrise, continued with 180km on a bicycle on a 4,300m elevation and ended with a  42.2km run on a 1,200m elevation. 

Upcoming challenge: another extreme Ironman distance triathlon or a three-day multi-stage extreme triathlon race.

It started with rugby at the age of 10. Matthew played for Malta until he retired six years ago and that is when he took up triathlons and longer endurance events.

Life mantra: Surround yourself with positive people who have your same mindset.

Three years ago, Matthew was cycling along the highway during an Ironman race when he decided that any future long races would have to be in stunning locations.

When he Googled ‘the most stunning triathlons in the world’ he came across a race called Alpe d'Huez Triathlon, however it was classified as one of the hardest triathlons in the world. Nevertheless, he enrolled, competed, completed it, and got hooked on extreme triathlons. The following year he completed the Ironman Lanzarote, the hardest Ironman branded race.

Apart from enjoying the stunning views, during the race Matthew tries to clear his mind of any thoughts.

“Reality is that your mind will give up much sooner than your body. At times it’s hard knowing that once you’ve started, you've got another 14 hours or more ahead of you, but if you break it up into stages it is more manageable to control your thoughts.”

With this mindset, the only reason that would stop Matthew from reaching the finish line would be an injury or a mechanical bike failure.

“The race is just the final step of a longer journey. For my last race I had started training almost nine months before, so mentally I knew my body could handle it. 

“I’m quite hard-headed as well – if I set myself a challenge, I will see it through to the end. If I have to cycle 150km in a training session I make sure I make it past the 150km mark – I will not stop if my watch says 149.9km.”

Matthew takes time to prepare himself mentally so that he can see the challenge through. During the preceding months, after a regular day of work, he joins his coach Fabio Spiteri to cycle throughout the night, going up and down the same hill until sunrise. 

 

Marie Claire Aquilina

2020 challenge: Marie Claire completed the Everesting challenge by climbing 8,901 metres on Pinellu Hill, in Mellieħa, in 20 hours and 43 minutes. 

Upcoming challenge: the Xterra World Championship in Hawaii next year.

It started when she took up cycling passionately in 2004 aged 28.

Life mantra: Life is now.

Marie Claire had always shunned the Everesting challenge – an attempt to climb 8,848 metres in one single activity – believing it was “absolutely bizarre and crazy”.

But when her friends joined an Everesting event organised by athlete Fabio Spiteri, she decided to go for it with the ‘now or never’ attitude.

During the ride, she mentally pictured herself on that hill for the entire day, rain or shine. She felt it was important to keep her spirits high and mentally celebrated every milestone along the ride, happily indulging in home-cooked food and fruit during breaks.

However, she reached a point where she almost called it off. It was a moment of deep struggle: “we had set off at 5pm and it was already 5am. We stopped for a longer break that turned out to be too long for me. The long pause brought about a feeling of extreme fatigue, and very stiff and heavy legs. At the same time, I was suffering from saddle soreness due to the hot and humid conditions”.

It felt impossible for Marie Claire to ride on, however, when she saw the last two remaining cyclists picking up their bike to continue, the competitive flame sparked inside of her and she realised she could not let go of the challenge. 
When all the other athletes had dropped out and she found herself alone, she was driven by a strong sense of determination and hope: it was almost all over, all she had to do was push through until the end. She did. And she managed - with the support of the other cyclists and friends.

 

Neil Agius

2020 challenge: Swimming 101km from Punta di Braccetto in Sicily to St Julian’s pitch, Malta, in 28 hours.

Upcoming challenge: “something longer” than this summer’s feat.

It started when Neil was two years old and nearly drowned in his grandparents’ swimming pool. His parents sent him to swimming lessons, and by the age of eight he started competing in races. When some years ago he tried swimming around Malta, the challenge inspired him to explore ultradistances.

Life mantra: Your mind is your only limitation. 

For Neil, giving up is not on the menu, neither when he is training, nor during the event itself. 

“If you consider giving up an option, you’ll fall on that option when it starts getting harder and you are really tired and pushed to the limit.”
He makes sure he sees a challenge through as he does not want to let down his teammates, who have invested several hours and a lot of effort for him to be able to take on the challenge. 

Knowing that completing such a challenge could really inspire people and make a difference in their lives, is another factor which ensures that giving up does not even cross his mind. 

On his part, Neil draws inspiration from a movement that has seen people become more active not just for their own physical benefit, but also for the impact it could have on the environment. 

He also admits that he takes on such challenges to see how far he can push himself and how far he can push a human body, answering the ultimate question: when is too much, too much?

During ultra-distance swims like the latest one from Sicily to Malta, Neil tries to clear his mind of all thoughts. He knows that the less he thinks about what could happen or what he is doing right or wrong, the better. However, 28 hours is a very long time, and some thoughts might slip through. 

“I obviously do think about things and I let the good thoughts linger. When the bad thoughts make it through – maybe about some big fish that might be around me, or how tired my shoulders are - I try to get them out of my head as quickly as possible.”

This article was first published in Sunday Circle, a Times of Malta publication. Read the full issue online.